The report finds that the head of the school board - Wally Upper - repeatedly intimidated staff by yelling and using demeaning language during closed meetings. Upper did not immediately respond to our requests for comment.

The grand jury also looked into complaints that some school board trustees violated the Brown Act, which guarantees the public's right to attend and participate in meetings. The grand jury said the processes the board uses to evaluate members are almost non-existent.

The grand jury recommends changes to the board's bylaws and extensive training to remedy the problems.

The Amador County Unified School District's interim superintendent says all of the trustees attended ethics training earlier this month and that the board is making substantial strides to address the grand jury's findings.

Steve is the voice of Capital Public Radio News as anchor of Morning Edition and Insight. He covers stories on a wide range of topics including: business, education, real estate, agriculture and music. Steve also produced stories for CapRadio.org. Read Full Bio